Child of Time: The Pendragon Line

Part 3: A Golden Meeting

This was stupid.

Here I was in the dark once again, standing completely still, lost in thought for no reason.

The stars were just beginning to peek their way through the misty sky and I was rooted to the center of a crossroad in the middle of a dark park, alone. Smart one Archer, very smart.

With every movement and motion of the bushes I jumped, clutching my pink can of pepper spray tightly in my palm.

Breathing out a breath of relief with every squirrel and rabbit that made themselves known.

Time was slowly running out, if I didn't move soon I would miss the last bus of the night and be stranded. I refuse to be late twice in one day.

Before me I had two options

1) Go the dark scary, dangerous and longer way around the park. Passing by several possible crack shacks and gangster dens.

2) I could frolic down the lovely lighted boardwalk over the lake with the odd chance of passing by a bicycle cop or two that like to patrol this way at night and make sure young, beautiful and modest young ladies (such as myself) made it to their bus, safe and sound.

This was the delightful path I had attempted to cross this morning on my way to the gallery. Or at least I thought I had. By now I was completely convinced that coffee shop Aaron had somehow managed to drug my morning brew. That bastard.

This of course, may or may not be true, but I needed an explanation for my delusions and he seemed like an easy enough target.

What was holding me back? The obvious option was to merrily make my way across the floating boardwalk and into the safety of the #2 bus.

Something wasn't right; I could feel some sort of strange 6th sense screaming at me that something was wrong.

When I was five years old, like most kids I absolutely believed that monsters lurked in my closet and with that belief came an overwhelming, indescribable feeling. I think most adults can remember believing in something similar if not identical. Even without proof you knew something was in there, hiding amongst your hoodies and slippers. You're told there is nothing to be afraid of but, you still have an overwhelming feeling that makes you pull the covers over your head. This was like that feeling.

I stepped forward, turning left along the path heading forward towards the boardwalk. Flocks of butterflies churned in my stomach but I wasn't willing to let my imagination over take me and get mugged or worse going the long way around. It felt like there was no winning.

I kept repeating calming notions to myself, if I do get into trouble there are security cameras and officer friendlies on their nightly rounds who may be able to hear my screams, and boy would I scream.

The sound of my boots against the wooden planks echoed across the water.

The odd fish bubbled up sending waves across the surface and all seemed calm.

No sign of the earlier altercation from my dream. No crazy light show or men dressed in armor and certainly no one named Merlin.

The bushes rustled behind me as I began the ascent up the slight incline of the ramp and the night air wafted gently through the trees.

My hand slowly loosened its grasp on my pepper spray, no longer feeling the need to clinch it tightly as my fears banished and my emotions calmed.

Almost to the center of the walkway I could see something lying on the one of the wooden rail guards.

A lost item, probably babies dropped bottle or a shoe. You would not believe how many people lose their shoes in a public park.

It glistened in the illuminescent light of the park lamps. Maybe someone's forgotten car keys; they would be regretting that in the morning.

With a clearer view of what the mysterious item was, I stopped dead.

Lying on the rail wasn't an innocently lost or forgotten item; it was a small golden danger.

I stared down at the smooth hilt and polished blade for several minutes. It was the exact same dagger that the man "Merlin" had unsheathed in my daydream.

What had happened to me? Was I asleep? Was there some kind of dream paradox? Was I still snug at home, safe under my covers suffering from a daydream tangled inside a nightmare?

How did I end up awaking at the entrance of the park with no memory of having walked there? Not to mention the city workers that were already busy paving the path when I awoke...

One hundred questions with no answers ran through my mind.

Perplexed, I picked up the dagger. It was smooth and cold to the touch, the sharp blade was clean and it didn't show any signs of having been used...recently.

That's when; out of the corner of my eye, I noticed it.

Muddy, water marks along the wooden boards of the walkway, boot prints, scuffle marks. You could almost read the tangled dance they wove.

Slowly my eyes followed their path, ending at the water's edge; inches from where I was standing it was almost as though Merlin, Galahad and Lancelot had all disappeared into the lake.

Leaving the dagger on the edge, I leaned over the wooden railing and stared into the darkness of the still water.

A strong arm pulled me back, within seconds there was a damp brown cloth covering my nose and mouth. "Quite now, it will be over soon" a dark voice rasped in my ear. I clawed for the golden blade but the man whipped me around before I even got close.

His hand and cloth covered my nose and mouth, gagging any attempt I made to scream. He wrapped his other dirty arm around my waist so tightly I could barely breathe. The rag was soaked in chloroform, vainly I tried not to gasp, holding in as much oxygen as I could, one whiff of the chemical and I would be out cold. A very tall, thin man stood nearby. A wide almost toothless grin covered his face. His skin was dark and his arms calloused as though he worked most of his life in the fields as a farmer.

My lungs screamed for air, but I refused to give in. At this rate I would pass out one way or the other, either from the chloroform or the asphyxiation.

I scratched and clawed at my assailant, fear over took my senses until the rage took over and I recalled the small pink can of pepper spray I had knotted to my wrist.

Lifting the can up above my head towards his face I pulled the trigger.

He let out a high pitched scream like I have never heard before as well as a few choice words and released his grasp, covering his eyes in pain.

I bolted, leaving the man howling angrily and his accomplice standing dumbstruck.

The board walk began to shake with heavy footfalls and I knew they were soon after me. I was hoping for more time to find a bike cop or even pull my cell phone out of my purse and dial 911. But now, there was no option but to run as fast and as hard as I could, with no time to fiddle around with my analogue style cell. I should have listened to my dad and coughed up the money for a smartphone, but I was just so damn cheap and those can run around $500.

Heart pounding I could feel my legs giving in. I could feel the booming vibration of the boardwalk continue relentlessly as they pursued but I knew I couldn't run much longer. I wasn't exactly the sporty type of girl.

The lake side began to turn to trees and the scenery that was a moment ago whipping past my eyes was now slowing to a halt as I ran out of steam.

Until, it completely stopped but not from my own exhaustion but from running smack dab into someone cold and hard.

I felt the slamming jar of my body fall backwards as I collided with solid metal and hit the hard wood of the boardwalk.